Chute for loading wheat or flour on ships.



No. 707,297. Patented Aug. I9, 1902.

r. w. BRINK.

CHUTE FOR LOADING WHEAT 0R FLOUR 0N SHIPS.

(Application filed lgar. 4, 1902.]

(No Model.)

' I 37.0mm?

gauge/3:? 3%. f

lNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. BRINK, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

CHUTE FOR LOADING WHEAT OR FLOUR ON SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 707,297, dated August 19, 1902.

Application filed March 4, 1902. Serial No. 96,703. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FRANK W. BRINK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chutes for Loading Wheat or Flour on Ships; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in chutes or conveyor-spouts, and relates particularly to that class of chutes which is adapted to load wheat, flour, or the like into the holds of vessels.

It consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. V I f In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical central section through a chute constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical transverse section througha portion of the chute, showing the means for joining the sections of the chute together. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of a portion of the chute, showing the means for locking one section of the chute to another. Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-section through the said chute. I

The chute which forms the subject-matter of this invention is constructed with sides 1 1, arranged opposite each other and a suitable distance apart to accommodate the sacks or packages which are to travel through it. Between these sides 1 are arranged a series of inclined floors, everyalternate floor 2 extending in the opposite direction from the other alternate floors 3, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. Each of the floors 2 and 3 is preferably extended to a suitable point a sufficient distance from the next adjoining chute to permit of the packages passing readily from one floor to the other, and the lower ends of each of said floors may be provided with a curved portion 4 and 5, which assists in directing the package orbag around the ends of the floor. The upper ends of the floors which are below the two upper floors are formed with curved upper ends, as at 6 and 6 to receive the bags from the next adjacent floor above are preferably strengthened by longitudinally-arranged bars or reinforcing-strips 7, the upper ends of which project above the upper end, of the chute and are formed with eyes 8, to which a suspending rope or cable may be attached for. suspending the chute from the tackle of a hoisting mechanism. The chute may thus be raised, lowered, and adjusted into proper position. The upper ends of the reinforced strip 7 may also be provided with eyes 9 at their upper ends of sufficient size to have supporting bars or rods passed through them, the ends of said rods resting upon the edges of the hatchway or other support for holding the upper end of the chute in place. Of course when these supporting-bars are employed it is not necessary to support the chute by the cable, though the cable is preferable for raising and'lowering the chute into and out of position. The upper end of the chute is preferably cut away, as at 10, so that a sack-turner or other operator may sit upon a suitable seat, as indicated at 11 in dotted lines, directly above the mouth of the chute for directing the box or packages into said chute. The upper end of the top floor 3 projects'in a vertical direction, as at 12, a suitable distance to form, with the top floor 2, a receiving-hopper for the sacks or packages which are to enter the chute. The sacks or other parcels pass successively in opposite directions from one floor to the other until they reach the bottom of the chute, whence they pass out upon the tongue-chute 13, which directs the bags to asuitable table or support 14. in the bottom of the ship. The tongue-chute 13 is formed with sides 15 to prevent the box from falling oif at the sides,

and the upper end of the chute 13 carries one or more hooks 16, which hook over or fasten upon a transverse rod 17, extending across the chute from one side to the other. Such a rod 17 is extended across each section of the chute, so that when' oneof th t us is re-..

moved or added to the upper portion of the chute there will always be a proper support for the tongue-chute 13. The sides 1 1 are spaced apart and braced with respect to each other by means of cross-bars 18, arranged at suitable intervals by inclosing bands 19, extending entirely around the structure and riveted or otherwise secured thereto. The removable sections of the chute-such, for instance, as shown at 20are formed practically the same as the main body of the chute above and when fitted in position form a continuation of the same. These sections are reinforced by bands or binding-strips 21 at their upper and lower ends. The chute-sections are divided from each other preferably upon planes extending through the curved ends of the inclined tables 2 and 3, and for this reason the upper end of a lower section carries a curved plate 22, which is made to fit upon the lower end of the inclined table immediately above. The lower end of the section also carries a curved piece, as 28, adapted to fit and complete the upper end of the next inclined floor below. In this manner the curved ends of the tables where they meet and oppose each other are maintained the same throughout no matter how many sections are added to or taken from the chute. The chute-sections are preferably secured to each other, so that they can be readily and quickly separated and as readily and quickly put together again. I prefer to employ the method shown in the drawings, where loops 24 are illustrated as secured to the upper ends of the lower sections and adapted to engage hooks 25 at the lower ends of each section. These loops and hooks, are arranged upon one side of the chute, while at the opposite side thereof a hasp-and-keeper device is employed. The hasp is preferably a double one, as at 26, being pivoted in suitable eyes or staples 27 to the lower edge of a section and having its depending swinging loops adapted to fit over keepers or staples 28, secured to the upper end of the adjoining section. Hooks or other fasteners 29, secured against loss by cords or chains 30 or similar means, are used to hold the hasps in position upon the keepers or staples. When a section is to be added to the chute, the loops 24: are first brought into engagement with hooks 25, after which the loops of the double hasp 26 are placed over the staples or keepers 28 and the hooks 29 are thrust into said staples to lock the hasps upon the same. The double hasp may, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, be made of a single piece of metal or wire, if desired, with two loops arranged in the same. This is an inexpensive and yet an eifective hasp for the desired purpose.

1 Of course to remove a section of the chute it "is only necessary to disengage the hasp and the loops 24. from the hooks 25. The tonguesame manner as above described. A chute of this character is specially well adapted for the loading of wheat or other grain which is put up in sacks into the hold of a vessel. It enables such packages to be sent down through an ordinary hatchway of comparatively small size, the chute not being necessarily large in diameter. The chute also can be adjusted to suit different depths of holds and can be accommodated to various circumstances. The packages or sacks traveling down through the chute slide first upon one side on one floor and then turn over and slide on the other side, and so on to the bottom. If the doors 2 and 3 are rather steep and the packages appear to travel too readily, the said floors can be formed with riffles 31 or transverse ribs secured to their upper surface near the lower ends for retarding to some extent the speed of the sacks or packages passing through the chute.

While I have described my chute as specially adapted for handling sacks and packages to be delivered into the hold of a ship, it will be apparent that it can be employed in places Where bags, bundles, and sacks or other packages are to be transferred from one plane to another plane in warehouses, stores, and the like.

The lower ends of the chute-sections are preferably provided with eyes 32, to which cords or ropes may be attached for securing the [lower ends of the said chutes in a fixed position after the chute has been adjusted in place. Such ropes may be attached to adjoining articles or structures for anchoring the lower end of the chute.

The parts are exceedingly simple in construction and are very effective for the purpose desired. The structure is also comparatively inexpensive.

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A chute, comprising sides and transversely-arranged inclined floors extending between the said sides, one fioor leading to another successively in opposite directions for directing packages, the upper ends of the floors lapping and curving about the ends of the next floors above, sacks or the like from one floor to another, substantially as described.

2. A chute comprising sides, inclined floors extending between the sides and arranged alternately in different inclined planes, curved end portions on some of the floors lapping the ends of the next floors above for turning packages over and directing them from one floor to the other until they reach the bottom of the chute, substantially as described.

3. A chute comprising a casing formed with a series of inclined floors arranged therein, the said chute being made up of a series of removable sections so that the chute may be made of different lengths, in accordance with the position in which it is to be used, a removable tongue-chute arranged to be pivotally hooked to the lower end of any of the chute-sections so that it may be employed at the bottom of the chute, no matter what its length, for directing packages or sacks from the lower end of the chute to a suitable floor or other support, substantially as described.

4:. A chute comprising sides and inclined floors, the said inclined floors having their meeting ends lapped and curved so as to direct packages and parcels from one to the other, means for reinforcing and bracing the sides with respect to each other, and means for raising and lowering or supporting in position the said chute, substantially as described.

5. A chute made up of a series of sections adapted to fit one upon the other, each of said sections comprising side pieces and inclined floors adjoining the same, one floor leading to another, the floors of the different sections fitting against the ends of the floors of adjoining sections, so as to continuously direct the packages through the chute, and a tonguechute at the bottom adj ustably supported at the bottom of the lowest chute-section, substantially as described.

6. A sectional chute, comprising a main body portion, and one or more sections adapted to be added thereto, each added section having loops at its upper end adapted to engage hooks'upon the next section above, and locking means for further supporting the said section, substantially as described.

fitting one upon the other, inclined packagedirecting floors within the chutes, means for detachably securing the ends of the sections together so that the 'floors will register with each other, and eyes arranged at the lower ends of each chute for receiving anchor rods or cables to hold the lower end of the said chute in position, substantially asdescribed. 50 

